Vulcanizing machine



Oct. 27, 1953 5, APEL ET AL 2,656,565

VULCANIZING MACHINE Original Filed Sept. 23, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS GEORGE E. APEL DON F. COLLlNS ATTORNEYS G. E. APEL ET AL VULCANIZING MACHINE Oct. 27, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 23, 1949 ATTORNEYS INVENTORS GEORGE E. APEL DON F COLLINS Patented Oct. 27, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VULCANIZING MACHINE Original application September 23, 1949, Serial No. 117,432. Divided and this application tober 24, 1951, Serial No. 252,862

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to vulcanizing machines of the continuous vulcanizing type and employing a vulcanizing drum which cooperates with an endless steel pressure band, the material to be vulcanized being continuously passed through the machine between and in pressure contact with the heated surfaces of the band and drum.

The machine is of heavy construction and embodies front and rear side frames rotatably supporting the vulcanizing drum at its ends and a plurality of rolls for supporting the endless pressure band relative to the drum and including a tensioning roll for tightening the band into pressure contact with the drum. Novel power operated mechanism is provided for cooperating with the band tensioning roll to move it in one direction tensioning the band or in the opposite direction to a position leaving the band slack relative to the drum and rolls. This mechanism includes a pair of upwardly extending arms mounted at their bottom ends on the frame for wide pivotal movement about a common axis and carrying the tensioning roll for quick movement through a substantial arc. The primary object of the invention resides in the production of this novel mechanism for thus moving the tensioning roll as required.

These and other features of the invention will be best understood and appreciated from the following description of a preferred embodiment thereof selected for purposes of illustration and shown in the accompanying drawings in which,

Fig. 1 is a front side elevation of a continuous vulcanizin machine embodying the invention and showing the band tensioning roll in band tensioning position,

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view of Fig. 1 with the band tensioning roll in retracted position, and

Fig. 3 is a rear end view of the machine.

The heavy metal frame of the machine comprises front and rear side frames Ill and H of similar shape rigidly connected and supported on a concrete base I2. The frame is designed to support three rolls over which passes a relatively wide steel pressure band 14 in a generally triangular path with a reentrant loop extending about a substantial arcuate portion of a large vulcanizing drum or cylinder 16 supported by the frame within the general outline of the path of the band. Two of the band supporting rolls I8 are located adjacent to and forwardly of the vulcanizing drum, and a third band tensioning roll [9 is located rearwardly of the drum, the pressure band being supported on these rolls and engaging the drum.

The band tensioning roll I9 is rotatably supported at its ends on a pair of arms 2t! pivoted at 2| on a common axis parallel with the drum and rolls to brackets 22 bolted to the front and rear side frames l0 and H. An idler roll 24 is carried on the outer ends of two auxiliary arms 25 for supporting the vulcanized strip 26 as it leaves the pressure band. Power operated means including two cylinders 28 pivotally attached to the side frames at 30 on a common axi parallel with the drum and rolls and havin pistons therein attached to the two arms 20 at 312 is provided for moving the arms outwardly of the frame to tension the band and inwardly thereof to render the band slack. The power mechanism is fluid pressure operated either pneumatically or hydraulically.

When the machine is in operation the band I4 is tensioned into tight contact with the drum by forcing the tensioning roll I9 rearwardly to the position illustrated in Fig. 1. When the drum it and/or band H are to be removed, as described in our Patent No. 2,591,995, the tensioning roll I9 is quickly and easily moved by the power operated mechanism 28 to the position shown in Fig. 2. Such removal of the drum or band requires full loosening of the band and swing of the roll 19 with the arms 29 through the substantial are illustrated provides for such release of the band.

The employment of the arms 20 for supporting and moving the band tensioning roll H] to and from the positions shown in Figs. 1 and 2 not only provides for quickly moving the roll through a wide arc to these positions but furthermore permits of substantially shortening the entire machine and substantially reducing its cost. These features are best appreciated by com aring the improved machine with the prior machine shown in Fig. 1 of Bierer Patent 2,039,271 wherein the band tensioning roll 20 is supported in blocks 22 for horizontal movement in guides 23 of the frame.

This application is a division of our copending application Serial No. 117,432, filed September 23, 1949, now Patent No. 2,591,995.

Having thus disclosed our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A vulcanizing machine comprising a frame, a cylindrical vulcanizing drum rotatably mounted in the frame, two rolls arranged in spaced relation one above the other in the frame forwardly of the drum and having their peripheries adjacent to the periphery of the drum, an endless pressure band of sheet steel having a rearwardly extending loop disposed rearwardly of the drum and passing forwardly therefrom around the rolls and from thence continuously around a substantially arcuate portion of the drum and forming an open loop to and adjacent to the .drum .between the rolls, a band tensioning r011 within and supporting said rearwardly extending loop remote from the drum and said rolls, two upwardly extending arms disposed in spaced relation respectively at opposite sides and'rearwa-rdly of the frame, means mounting the lower ends of the arms on the frame for pivotal movement about a common axis parallel with .the dr-umtand rolls, means rotatably supporting the tensioningroll on and between the arms above said axis, an idler r011 carried on and movable with therouter ends of said upwardly extending arms "for sup- GEORGE E. APEL. DON F. COLLINS.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 75220392571 .Bierer Apr. 28, 36

FOREIGN PATENTS Number .Country Date 336,737 "Great Britain Oct. 23, 1930 

